Free to study. Every lesson and assessment is free. Paid certificates are not on sale yet.

Menu

Workplace emergency readinessfree online awareness course for New Zealand workers

What to find out on day one at work, and what New Zealand guidance says to do in an earthquake, tsunami, storm, flood, fire or threat.

  • About 37 min
  • 5 short modules
  • 15 questions
  • 85% to pass
A lit green emergency exit sign with a running figure and an arrow.

About this course

On your first day, someone shows you the staff room and the roster. They may not show you the way out. This course covers what to find out when you start a job, and what New Zealand's official guidance says to do in an earthquake, tsunami, storm, flood, fire or threat at work, including how to look after clients and visitors.

It is general awareness. It does not replace your workplace's emergency plan or drills, and it does not teach first aid.

You can study and sit the assessment free, with no account. Get Ready, New Zealand Police and WorkSafe also publish free guidance, linked on this page, and you may prefer it. Pay only if you pass and want our certificate.

What you will learn

  • Find out your workplace's alarm, ways out, assembly point and who is in charge
  • Explain what the rules and WorkSafe say about workplace emergency plans
  • Apply Drop, Cover and Hold, and avoid common mistakes in an earthquake
  • Decide when to move to high ground after a long or strong earthquake
  • Respond safely to severe weather alerts and flood water
  • Choose the right response to a fire alarm or to an attack, using Escape, Hide, Tell
  • Support clients, children and visitors in an emergency, and call 111 for medical help

Who this course is for

  • New staff, and anyone starting at a new workplace
  • Workers in offices, hospitality, cleaning, care, support and early childhood services who look after clients, guests, children or visitors
  • Team leaders who want a plain-language refresher for their team

How the course works

  1. 1. What to find out on day oneThe questions to ask when you start a job, what the rules and WorkSafe say about emergency plans, and your own part.About 5 min, ending with a quick check
  2. 2. Earthquakes and tsunamiDrop, Cover and Hold, what not to do, the first minutes after the shaking, and when to head for high ground.About 6 min, ending with a quick check
  3. 3. Severe weather and floodingWhat MetService alerts mean, what to do at work in a storm or flood, and how to get reliable information.About 5 min, ending with a quick check
  4. 4. Fire and threatsWhy fire needs a different response from an earthquake, and what New Zealand Police advise in an armed attack on a crowded place.About 5 min, ending with a quick check
  5. 5. Looking after clients, children and visitorsWho may need help, how to plan with them, what changes for children and home visits, and where medical help fits.About 5 min, ending with a quick check
  6. Sit the assessment15 questions drawn at random. You need 85% to pass, and there is no time limit. If you do not pass, you will see which topics to review, then try again with a new set of questions.Free, and so are retries
  7. If you pass, the certificate is your choiceYou pay once, then get the PDF straight away and a copy by email. Your place is saved on this device the whole way, with no sign-up.NZ$24.90, optional
A sample Steadyhand Training certificate of completion made out to Your Name, with its details blurred.
Sample. Yours shows your name, the course, the date and an ID anyone can check.

What this certificate does and does not show

  • This is general awareness. It does not replace your workplace's emergency plan, its drills or any training your employer must provide. If your plan differs from anything here, follow your plan and ask your manager about the difference.
  • It is not first aid training. First aid needs practical training from a provider, and this course only tells you to call 111 and use your workplace's first aid arrangements.
  • It does not cover every hazard. Volcanic activity, wildfire, landslides, extreme heat and hazardous substances are outside it, and Get Ready has advice on most of them.
  • Passing does not show that your employer has met its duties on emergency plans, and no agency named here has reviewed or endorsed this course.

Anyone can check a certificate on our verification page using its ID or QR code. More about the certificate.

Questions about this course

Does this replace my workplace's emergency training?

No. Your workplace's plan, drills and induction come first, because they are about your building and your job. This course gives general awareness to help you make sense of them.

Does this course teach first aid?

No. If someone is hurt or unwell, call 111. First aid needs practical training from a provider, and your employer can tell you who the first aiders are at your workplace.

Will it tell me my tsunami zone?

No. Zones depend on the address. Search your workplace's address on Get Ready's tsunami evacuation zones map, and ask your manager where your plan sends people.

What if my workplace's plan says something different?

Follow your workplace's plan, because it is written for your site, and ask your manager about the difference. If something in the plan looks unsafe, say so. Your employer must involve workers in decisions about the plan.

Who should pay for emergency training?

Ask your employer. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 bans a business from charging its workers for health and safety. If your employer requires workplace health and safety training, ask whether they provide or fund it before purchasing this optional certificate. Study and assessment here are free, and our certificate is optional at NZ$24.90. This awareness course does not replace workplace-specific training or induction.

Will my employer accept the certificate?

Ask them first. Each employer decides what training it accepts. You can study and sit the assessment free before deciding whether to buy anything.

Official sources behind this course

The lessons are original summaries of these sources. For your own situation, the source is what counts.

Show all 33 sources

Version 1.1.1, last checked 2026-11-03. Approved for publication by our editor on 2026-11-09. Not reviewed by an external professional. How we check our content.

Related courses

Fire safety and emergencies

Fire Warden Awareness

What a fire warden usually does before, during and after an alarm, what New Zealand law actually says, and how evacuation schemes and trial evacuations work.

  • 37 min
  • 5 modules

Free to study

Certificate NZ$24.90 if you pass

Manual handling and workplace safety

Workplace Health and Safety Basics

Your rights and duties under New Zealand's Health and Safety at Work Act: reporting hazards, stopping unsafe work, HSRs, PPE, and the changes from 1 April 2027.

  • 38 min
  • 5 modules

Free to study

Certificate NZ$24.90 if you pass

Employment, leadership and communication

Clear Communication at Work

How to say the main thing first, listen, check understanding, write plainly, hand over between shifts and get an interpreter when someone needs one.

  • 38 min
  • 5 modules

Free to study

Certificate NZ$24.90 if you pass

Passed 2 or more courses? Buy their certificates together and pay 20% less.

Need help before you start?

Write to support@steadyhand.co.nz and a person will answer. Who runs this site.

Free to study.
Certificate NZ$24.90 if you pass.